Police warning over "Momo" challenge

By Grainne McKinney

25 February 2019

The disturbing game has swept across the UK, encouraging self-harm

The PSNI say they are aware of the so-called "Momo" challenge invading social media.

This extremely disturbing challenge conceals itself within other harmless looking games or videos played by children and when downloaded, it asks the user to communicate with “Momo” via popular messaging applications such as WhatsApp.

It is at this point that children are threatened that they will be cursed or their family will be hurt if they do not self-harm.

The PSNI are working with other UK Police Services to try to identify the extent of the problem

Detective Sergeant Elaine McCormill has condemned the game as "disgusting":

“ I would encourage parents to know what your children are looking at and who they are talking to.

Whilst the threat of a curse may sound silly to an adult, it could be a very frightening prospect for a young child and they may feel under pressure to carry out acts to protect themselves or family from further harm".

Detective McCormill advises parents to make sure their children are safe online:

"The most fundamental piece of advice that I can offer is to speak with your children – let them know that they do not have to deal with any concerns on their own.

It is crucial that parents are involved with their children’s online lives and I’d urge parents to make children aware of online dangers and ensure they know that they can speak to someone if anything or anyone online causes them concern".

They have urged those who have been targeted by the "Momo" challenge to contact police on 101 or 999 in an emergency so that they can examine the device, gather information and investigate the incident.

A wealth of information and support is also available online, including on the following sites: